The Wolf Queen
by thestrange-ladymalz
Summary: AU - The werewolf kingdom of Vilkas, dead for 1000 years and is brought back by Anita and her daughter. Years pass and a dark secret comes to life, threatening the entire Enchanted Forest and realms beyond with Red as Queen. The pirate Killian Jones is hired to capture the legendary Wolf Queen, but once he sees her, he is unsure about what he wants more, the gold or the queen.
1. Chapter 1

Red did what she was best at. She ran.

She felt naked without her hood, despite her mother's reassurance that she did not need it. She had worn it since she was a little girl, it had felt like a part of her, a second skin. But she had left it behind, discarded on the floor of the den, right next to the body of her best friend.

Snow White, the runaway princess. Margaret, the girl who snuck into the chicken coop. Snow, the one who convinced her she didn't have to be a girl, or a wolf, that she could be both. Snow, who was dead. Snow, who Red had killed in a… haze while she was in wolf form. Her mother taught her how to control the wolf inside of her, but she had so much to learn before she could master it. She had killed Snow just like she had killed Peter. Because she was ignorant to what she really was.

A monster.

Red fell to her knees, her skirts doing little to keep the cold from seeping into her bones. Her arms wrapped around herself, fingernails clawing into her sleeves in some attempt to draw the pain out from her heart. Tears fell freely, dotting her skirts and getting lost in the soil. She rested against a tree and cried. Sobbed for hours. The entire day she mourned. The sun crossed the sky and eventually sunk below the horizon, the moon took its place in the dark sky and Red felt her eyes burn from the power of the wolf.

She transformed and howled at the moon. Long, mournful, sad, until she could no longer hold the note.

Another howl joined her, then another, until a whole symphony of wolves crying to the moon filled the night.

When Red opened her eyes, daylight had just started to peer over the horizon. She didn't remember falling asleep and the familiar weight of her red cloak covered her body, she didn't remember that either.

Red sat up and saw her mother sitting on the ground beside her, the sun lit up her dark eyes. Anita smiled softly and placed a hand on Red's shoulder. Red leaned against her mother, no words were said, they simply sat until Red stopped crying.

"I thought I had control… I-" Red had gone through it over and over again in her head. Snow had come to the den, she had sought out her friend, the Queen's knights had found them and the whole den had attacked. Quinn had gotten an arrow to the shoulder, it just barely missed his heart. When Red had transformed back into a girl, she saw Snow's body laying on the ground and her blood was on Red's hands. She didn't know she had lost control, but she did.

"It takes time, my love," Anita stroked at her daughter's hair. "And heartbreak, but you will learn, I promise."

"Snow was my family…"

"Like a sister to you, I know." Anita pulled her close. "But you have a whole family waiting for you back at the den. Return to them, wolves mourn together."

Red wiped her tears away with the palm of her hand. "Quinn, is he-"

"Quinn is fine, he is already healing. Come, let us return."

Anita helped her daughter up and tied the strings of her red hood around her shoulders, as much as she insisted that Red did not need it, the comforted look on her daughter's face when it hung on her shoulders gave Anita enough reason to let her keep it.

When they returned to the den, Red noticed the bodies of the black knights piled in a cart. Quinn, who had a white bandage peaking out from under the collar of his black shirt, held onto the reigns of a horse. A surge of relief went through Red's chest and she ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, nearly forgetting about his wound. He groaned from the pain but returned the embrace. Anita looked on from a distance.

"I'm glad you aren't dead." Red smiled, letting him go, although her hand reach up to touch his cheek. When she realized that, she quickly pulled it back. He caught it and held onto her hand for a moment.

"I am glad that you are okay."

She hoped he didn't see her blush too much, so she turned her head and looked at the black pile of corpses. "Where are you taking the bodies?"

"They will be taken far and burned, or buried." Anita told her. "They may have been enemies, but they deserve a send off, it is our way."

"And Snow's?" Red asked, her eyes lingering on a body laying seperate from the rest, carefully wrapped in white.

"She will be buried with our own kind. You should rest, I can take you to the graveyard tomorrow, my dear." Anita touched Red's cheek and pointed to another woman coming out from the den. "Lucia, could you take my daughter below and help her clean up? Red, Quinn and I be back after we have taken care of the bodies."

Red realized she still had Snow's blood on her skin and sticks and dirt in her hair. Lucia, a tall, dark skinned woman, took Red's hand and led her to the entrance of the den. She took one last look at her mother, wanting to beg to go with them to bury Snow, but her mother's smile and firm gaze seemed to push her below.

The horse and cart did well enough in the rough path of the woods, but once they had gotten to the main road, Anita was glad they could quicken the pace. The smell of dead bodies made her nose itch.

"It seems my daughter has become quite taken with you," Anita broke the silence and settled her eyes on Quinn. "You are the one who found her, and for that I am grateful, I need you to make sure she never finds out the truth."

Quinn nodded "She's going to be a very powerful wolf, once she reaches maturity."

Anita couldn't help but smile, Red's wolf blood was the most potent she had seen in years. Her mother had ruined her plans when she had taken Red away from her after she gave birth, Anita didn't even have time to name her daughter before Granny had whisked her away. It was clever, naming her Red, giving her the colorful cloak, wrapping her in superstition as if it would keep her powers at bay. But now Red found her way back to her, as easy to mold as clay.

"That is why we must keep her on our side. I will not be able to keep a hold on her for long, there is only so much a mother can do. But a lover…"

Quinn's eyes widened, but quickly settled into understanding. "Yes, mi'lady"

"When we return to the homeland, things will change very quickly." Anita's smile grew as they passed over the final hill and the Queen's castle became a visible beacon in the distance. They drew closer and Anita could feel Quinn's anxiousness.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

They had reached the gates and Anita could see the army of guards poised to fire arrows should they take a misstep. "Trust me, Quinn. Her Majesty and I are… old friends."

"Halt!" A guard called from atop of the wall. "Who are you to seek entrance into the castle?"

Anita took a single step forward. "I am Lady Anita of Vilkas, an old friend of Her Majesty. I think she will be more than eager to accept my presence."

It took very little time after the guard had disappeared for the front gates to open. Anita and Quinn entered into the courtyard and were met by none other than Queen Regina herself.

"Anita," The Queen's welcome was cold, but filled with interest as her eyes laid on the cart full of her dead knights. "To what do I owe this pleasure."

"Your Majesty," Anita bowed, her skirts sweeping across the stone. "I have come to give you a gift." Anita turned and gestured to Quinn, who held the white-wrapped body in his arms.

Anticipation fluttered over Regina's face as Quinn lightly set the body before her feet and uncovered the head. Snow's face was ghastly white, the sheen of death, and blood had stained the bottom of her chin. Regina's lips quivered in a smile as she bent down and grasped Snow's face in her hands, her nails dug into her cheeks enough to draw blood, had it been able to flow freely.

"I… I can hardly believe it." Regina smiled, what seemed to be pure and ferocious joy radiated from her body.

"Your men had tracked her to our den, but it was my daughter that ended the princess's life. There were some casualties on both sides, but I have returned your men as a token of good faith." Anita was sure Regina had heard her, but the queen took several moments to stare into the cold face of Snow White.

"Oh, my dear friend," Regina said, not taking her eyes off of Snow's corpse. "You have done more for me today then- Come!" Regina stood up and extended her arm to Anita. "We will have a drink and discuss the terms of your payment- your reward.

Anita followed close to Regina. "I only have one request, and only one term that I will accept."

"So very straightforward. Go on."

"I would like the return of Vilkas."

Regina's brow raised. "I am afraid I haven't the faintest idea of what that is."

"Few do, as there are not many people alive who have heard the term outside of old musty history books." Anita explained. "Vilkas is land, to the south, it's borders are rather… blurred, but many years ago it was a kingdom of it's own, a kingdom of werewolves to be exact. It was the only thing that separated the your land and the Great Dirweyr."

"That I know of, Dirweyr and it's monsters were purged centuries ago." Regina said.

Anita nodded. "What everyone forgets is that Vilkas was the cost of the purge. Vilkas was weakened and the ruler of the Enchanted Forest thought us to be soulless creatures to be slaughtered. He attacked, Vilkas fell, and it's people scattered in fear of their lives. It is nothing but overgrown land and ruins but I would like it back."

Regina had stopped and turned to face Anita. "You want back an old, destroyed kingdom for your dogs?"

Anita straightened up, her face darkening "There have been sightings of creatures near the border of Dirweyr. The humans have forgotten the horrors of that dark place but we have not."

"You talk about Vilkas and the Dirweyr as if you were there…" Regina met Anita's gaze. The wolf woman's eyes were heavy with experience, in the same way Rumplestiltskins were. Seconds passed as Regina's recognized a simple truth.

In the next instant, Anita broke the silence "I think you'll find it to be a beneficial arrangement. It may take a few years to rebuild, but once it does? You'll gain a solid ally, protection against the Dirweyr and should you wage war, an army of werewolves at your service would be… a great advantage." Anita cooly lowered her head to the queen, who returned with a sharp smile of her red lips.

"But of course…" Regina's hand twitched in the air and grand doors opened at her command. "Let us have a drink, to celebrate."


	2. Chapter 2

The den had been cleared out and Red stood alone in the empty main chamber. She remembered what it was like when she first stepped foot in here, the stone pillars draped with rich fabrics, rugs and pillows lined the floors, light from the lanterns gave everything a rich and warm glow. Quinn was by her side and everyone had turned to look at her while she walked by. They did not stare, instead, their gaze was welcoming.

They had all welcomed her.

There was still a bloodstain on the stone where Snow had died. In a matter of days, weeks, her life had been turned around, shaken, a storm of good and bad days. She lost Peter, she lost Snow, but she found her mother, she found a family and soon she would have a home.

Home.

Red smiled, what a wonderful word to think of.

It was dark and cold down here now, without the drapes and pillows, the only light came from small candles that were almost out of wick.

"Are you ready?" Red turned to see Quinn descending down the staircase. He walked up next to her and took a look around. "It's hard to believe that we are leaving. We had been here for years before we found you, I will miss this place."

"My mother says that we are going back to the land of our ancestors. Vilkas… Have you ever been there before?" Her mother had tried describe the place, she had gone through the whole history, but a lot of it became lost in Red's own imagination of the old werewolf kingdom.

Quinn thought for a moment. "Once, when I was little. My parents were constantly on the move, my mother was a wolf and my father wanted to protect us from the hunters. One night we were ambushed, my father told me to run and I did. They were killed, but I found myself in the ruins of the castle. A few days later, Anita had found me and took me with her."

Red felt his fingers intertwine with hers.

"You are going to love it there." Quinn finished.

Quinn was right.

The sun had just begun to rise as they crossed the border of Vilkas, most of the pack had run all through the night to reach their new kingdom and as light started to trickle over the horizon, Red crossed over the broken fence of the city.

Houses were damaged from years of neglect, bearing scars of the battle that Anita had only described as gruesome and unspeakable, the near total annihilation of the were-people of Vilkas at the hand of the human army. The roads were overgrown with grass and tree roots that turned over the cobblestones, Red had to watch where she stepped. She had imagined a graveyard, but what she was seeing?

Simply a place of neglect, ruins of a once great place.

Birds started to chirp in the early reaches of morning and all around her started to glow with the sunlight.

Red walked along a path, away from Anita and Quinn and the rest of the pack who stopped at the edges of the town. Lost in the overgrowth, small sticks and dust stuck to her skirts but she kept going. After a mindless trek through the skeletons of houses and shops, Red came across something that made her stop in her tracks.

The castle, made of crumbling stones and held together by vines stretching across the ruins, rose tall above her, it was the largest building Red had ever seen, broken glass panes and scorch marks from hundreds of years ago dotted the walls. It had been nearly destroyed, everyone inside had perished, but it still stood tall and proud.

And near the entrance of the gates stood a white wolf, it's golden eyes settled right on her. Patches of black lined it's body and it tail, the tips of it's ears and thick around its eyes. Red took a step forward, and so did the wolf.

Years ago, like any other girl living in her villages, she had been fearful of wolves. But she learned recently, she should not be afraid of them, she shouldn't be afraid of something that was a part of her. She knelt down, her knees cold against the stones, and the wolf came to her. She stretched out her hand and it nestled its face right into her palm.

She felt like she was staring into a mirror as the wolf met her eyes.

"I see you met a friend." Her mother's voice made her turn, startled, but the wolf had not moved at all.

Anita came and knelt beside her, and the wolf leaned into her mother's touch as well, as if the animal was familiar with her as well. After a moment, the wolf pull away from Anita's touch and returned to Red's side.

Anita stood, as did Red, and they both turned to look at the castle before them. "Welcome home, my daughter."

Red stood before the ruins, but smiled at the thought. She could see it, as clear as day, crimson banners flowing from the gates, the roads busy with people, children and animals and men and women, similar to the stories Snow used to tell her of the royal city she grew up in. Her mother's hand reached to caress her hair, a touch that Red had still not grown familiar to. "And it's all ours."

"Yes my dear, it is all ours."

The rest of the pack had reached Vilkas by the end of that day, the old and the young, the ones who had stayed behind with the wagons of their things, along with a few of the Queen's own carriages, carrying gifts from Regina herself. They had set up camp in the castle courtyard for now, erecting tents and gathering supplies to last the first few weeks. It was only mid-spring, the nights were still cool and there was no warmth or security of the den, but for now, the open courtyard would do. They all sat around the large fire and dug into the large feast they had put together. Red's wolf laid at her side and didn't pick up it's head as Anita stood up and gathered the attention of the pack.

Anita said construction would begin tomorrow, with the few men and building supplies gifted from Queen Regina, and within a few months, Vilkas would begin to regain it's glory.

Anita declared herself Queen, and not a single soul opposed.

"It had been my father's dream to return to the land of his birth, it had been his hope to see it rise again, it was something he shared with my all the nights of my childhood until it became my dream as well. Vilkas met with a crushing defeat but we will show the whole world that just no army can extinguish the fire that burns in wolf blood, no matter how hard they have tried to forget us, we refuse to be forgotten." Anita spoke out in front of the pack. "We will no longer be the monsters feared in the night, we will be the saviors of the light, the ones who fought against the darkness of the Dirweyr. We will reclaim our might and we will rise again!"

Voices howled in harmony up to the waning moon and soon, music filled the night air. People rose to their feet and the courtyard livened up in celebration. Red watched in amazement at the people, at her people

She saw Quinn hold out his hand to her, the light from the large fire that burned chased the shadows from his face. "Care to dance, princess?"

Red laughed at the title, although she supposed it was true. Her gaze shifted to her mother, who simply smiled and nodded her head and Red eagerly grasped onto Quinn's hand. He pulled her up and they started to dance. Wildly and clumsily, but Red could not think of a single moment where she was happier.

As the fire died down and the pack fell asleep, Anita walked the forgotten hall of the castle until she reached a great room. The moonlight cut through the darkness of the castle, the glass and mirrors that still held their place illuminated the room enough for her to keep her step, avoiding the skeletons and discarded armor and swords that littered the floor. She kept her pace until she found herself in the very back of the hall and Anita smiled at the man who sat in the old throne.

The corpse that previously held the seat was carelessly thrown aside, but the crown of gold had been pried off and it was now held in the scaly hands of another.

"Rumplestiltskin," Anita put her hands together. "Thank you for coming on such… short notice."

The Dark One's eyes admired the crown in his hands. "I wasn't sure I would see the day when Vilkas rose again. We sure could have used your power in the Ogre Wars, dearie." His eyes then darted to Anita, and he smiled a wicked grin. "My my, it has been longer than I thought."

"Indeed. Time certainly flies."

He rose from the throne and pranced around the corpses strewn around him. "The last time I saw you, you were nothing more than a little girl hiding behind her father's legs. So scared." He danced around her. "You don't seem scared anymore."

"I am not a girl anymore, Rumple."

His eyes took her in. "No, certainly not."

"In any case," Anita took a step forward towards the throne and sat upon it. "Let's get this started. Did you bring it?"

"I should first congratulate you on your… coronation. Rather unconventional, but then again…"

"Rumple, did you bring it?"

There was an unearthly chuckle that filled the great hall. "Short story, no."

Anita rose from the throne and her gaze settled on him. "My father entrusted the moonstone to you and I have more than paid his debt. You will return it." Her voice was sharp, but all Rumple did was continue to chuckle.

"Of course, dearie, all in good time. You have many things to do, yes? But there is just a little thing we need to discuss first."

"And that is?"

"Your daughter."


End file.
